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NY won't pay to keep Statue of Liberty open during federal shutdown, Gov. Hochul says

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NY won't pay to keep Statue of Liberty open during federal shutdown, Gov. Hochul says

The Statue of Liberty may close as a result of the federal government shutdown. The statue as well as Ellis Island were open Wednesday, but Hochul said the state won’t provide funding to ensure the monument stays open during the funding fight. That’s a break from prior shutdowns, when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo committed state funds to keep Lady Liberty’s torch burning. It cost roughly $1.5 million, or about $65,000 a day, to keep the statue and Ellis Island open from Dec. 22, 2018 to Jan. 14, 2019.

Hochul, a Democrat, said more than 100,000 federal workers in New York, including National Park Service personnel who work at Ellis and Liberty islands, will go without pay at least temporarily after Congress failed to pass a new funding deal Tuesday night. The governor also said the shutdown threatens funding for other federal programs, such as Head Start and food assistance benefits. You can read more here.

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